File spoon-archives/puptcrit.archive/puptcrit_1999/puptcrit.9911, message 156


Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 04:49:58 -0500 (EST)
From: Crabgrass Puppet Theatre <crabgras-AT-snet.net>
Subject: Re: PUPT: Being John Malkovich-- et al.


John Bell wrote:

<. . . one thing that interests me is the way
that the technique of marionette performance is used by mass media as a
metaphor for the popular image of puppetry being about control. . .>

String puppets make an easy metaphor. The manipulator stands godlike over
the figure, visually dwarfing the puppet. The distance between the the
puppeteer and the puppet gives a slight dislocation and distortion as the
intent of the puppeteer is transmitted through the strings to the puppet,
which may or may not do as it is commanded.

I'd love to see someone reverse the metaphor, using a giant puppet figure
to manipulate the actions and lives of the manipulators below.


and Stephen Kaplin cringed:

<. . . I cringe at the portrayal of yet another nebbishy,
humorless, wacky, loser, slightly psychotic, sexually twisted puppeteer. It
just strikes too close to home.
	I for one also now wish that some of my puppets had toenails to
paint. Most of my puppets don't even have toes. Sigh.>


Stephen, Stephen, Stephen.

The media seem to have adopted the puppeteer as symbol for the marginalized
artist, but there's no need to internalize this oppression. And if you
perform as if your puppets have painted toenails, your audience will
believe in those painted toenails, and one day you'll look down and see
that your puppet has grown really truly painted toenails. Soon to be a
major motion picture. . .

Crabgrass Puppet Theatre
http://members.aol.com/CPThe




  --- Personal replies to: Crabgrass Puppet Theatre <crabgras-AT-snet.net>
  --- List replies to:     puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
  --- Admin commands to:   majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
  --- Archives at:         http://lists.village.virginia.edu/~spoons

   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005